Collapsible mandrel.



W. F. REGAN.

COLLAPSIBLE MANDREL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1912. RENEWED SEPT. I. 1915,

1,1 86,498. Patented June 6, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v w. F. REGAN.

- COLLAPSIBLE MANDREL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 23, 1912- RENEWED SEPT-1.1915.

Wm Q,

W. F. REGAN.

COLLAPSIBLE MANDREL. APPLICATION FILED FEB- 23, 1912- RENEWED SEPT. 1 1915. 1,186,498.

Patented June 6, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cE.

WILLIAM I. REGAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL PAPER BOTTLE CO., 01 WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

- COLLAPSIBLE MANDREL.

Application filed February 23, 1912, SerialpNo. 679,263. Renewed September 1, 1915. Serial No. 48,572.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Mandrels, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention pertains to a collapsible mandrel, and the object of the invention is to permit of a paper receptacle having a crimped neck, such asa paper milk bottle, to be formed thereon while the mandretoccupies an expanded position, whereupon said mandrel is collapsed and withdrawn from the bottle. In the mechanism heretofore employed for this purpose, the crimping devices were of such character that the crimps were produced by folding the paper material between the members composing the mandrel. These devices, however, failed a to operate successfully because of the fact that the paper material was frequently torn during collapsing of the mandrel.

The present invention overcomes the defects referred to, and others, in prior mechanisms, and embodies a collapsible crimping mechanism wherein the folds or crimps in the paper material are produced by fold-' ing said paper material within the members in contradistinction to between the -members.

More specifically stated, the invention embodies a plurality of collapsible crimping members, which form a mandrel, each of said crimping members being provided with a groove or channel, and coiiperating crimping fingers positioned in alinement with the said grooves or channels and operable to press the paper material therein, thereby producing the crimps or folds.

Other features of the invention, and the advantages thereof, will appear in the course of the following detailed description taken in connection with the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the improved mandrel illustrating the same in an expanded condition. Figs. 2 and 3 are ver- F; REGAN,

tical cross sections on the lines 11 and 2-2, respectively, of-Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the mandrel when expanded. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the mandrel in a collapsed condition. Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the mandrel in an expanded. operative con dition, and showing certain crimping fingers in cooperative relation to the grooves or channels in the members composing the mandrel. Fig. 7 is a cross section, on the line 66 of Fig. 6, illustrating the position Patented June 6, 1916.

of the crimping fingers in alinement radially with the channels'or grooves in the members of the mandrel.

Mandrel shaft 10 is reduced for a part of its length, as at 11, thereby producing an annular shoulder 12 intermediate the mandrel and the reduced part thereof. Two collars 13, 14 are attached rigidly to the mandrel shaft for rotation therewith, and between these collars is positioned a spacing thimble 15, the respective end portions of which are in engagement with the collars so as to retain the latter in predetermined positions upon the reduced part 11 of the mandrel shaft. Collar 137is fitted on the mandrel shaft for engagement with the annular shoulder 12 thereon, and this collar isprovided with a binding screw 16 adapted for engagement frictionally with the reduced part of the mandrel shaft, whereby the collar is clamped on said part 11 so as to be in contact normally with the shoulder 12. Collar 14 is fitted on the extremity of part 11 of the mandrel shaft, and it is provided with a binding screw 17, whereby said collar 14 is retained fixedly in position on the part 11 and in contact with spacing thimble 15. I Collar 13 is provided with a series of longitudinal grooves .18, and a similar series of grooves 19 is provided in collar 1ft, the purpose of the grooves 18, 19

being'to accommodate the end portions of certain links, whereby said links may be,

folded into compact relation to the mandrel shaft, as will hereinafter appear.

Loosely mounted on the mandrel shaft is a head, preferably collapsible, through which the shaft is free to slide in certain parts of its operation, said head serving to pivotally support one end of certain mem bers composing the collapsible and expansible mandrel. .Various forms of heads may be employed, but as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the head is preferably collapsible and embodies a sleeve 20, a collar 21, and a divided ring having sections 22. The sleeve 20 is provided at one end with a flange 23, the other end of said. sleeve having a male thread on which is screwed a nut 24. The collar fits snugly on the sleeve between flange 23 and nut 24 so that the collar is clamped fixedly in position relative to the sleeve. Said collar is provided at one end with an annular flange 25, and in the other end portion of said collar is a series of notches or grooves 26 adapted to receive the end portions of one series of mandrel members. Collar 21 is provided, also, with a series of notches 27 intermediate its ends, and around this notched portion of the collar is fitted the sections composing ring 22, each section of the ring being provided with a lug 28, through which passes a pin 29, for the purpose of pivotally connecting the ring section to collar 21 of the head. The sections of the ring extend beyond that edge of the collar having notch 26, said extended ends of the ring section being formed with an inclined flange 30 positioned for engagement with the expansible mandrel members. The pivoted sections 22 of the ring are pressed in one direction by springs 31, each spring being screwed to flange 25 of the colthe mandrel shaft, as shown in Figs. 1, 4

and 6.

Members 32 are in the form of straight bars, one end of each bar being positioned within a recess 26 of collar 21 and said end of the bar being pivoted by a pin 34 to col lar 21 of the head. The bars 33 of the other series are positioned in alinement with bars 32 of the first-named series, and the alined bars of the two series'32, 33 are shown as being pivoted directly together by pins 35.

It will be seen that the bars 32 composing one series of members are pivoted directly to the head so as to be pivotally supported for movement relative to the mandrel shaft,

but at their other ends, these members 32 are supported by links 36 which connect said members operatively with collar 13 fixed on the mandrel shaft. Each link 36 is positioned at one end within a recess 18 of collar 13, on which said end of the link is pivotally connected by a pin 37. The outer end of said link 36 is fitted in a slot 38 provided in member 32 in advance of the pivotal connection 35 between members 32, 33, the outer end of said link being pivotally attached to one member 32 by pin 39. y

Members 33 are pivotallv supported at one end by the pins 35 which connect said ends with members 32, but the other ends of members 33 are supported by links 40. Each link 40 is fitted in a recess 19 of collar 14 to which the link is pivoted by a pin 41, whereas the other end of each link 40 is fitted in a slot 42 provided in the rear portion of.

member 33, to which member said end of the link is connected by means of a pin 43.

A salient feature of the invention consists of grooves or channels 44 extending longitudinally of members 32, each member 32 having one of said grooves or channels 44 provided in the material composing the bar forming said member. The channel or groove 44 in each member opens radially through the outer face of the member, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and, preferably, each groove tapers in the direction of its length, the deepest part of the groove being adjacent to the pivotal connection 34 of the member to the head, whereas the shallow part of the groove is next to slot 38 in which is positioned one of the links 36. It is preferred to provide each member 33 with a longitudinal groove 45, the same be ing preferably uniform in depth. The members 32, 33 being pivotally connected at their adjacent ends by pins 35, the grooves 44, 45 in said members are in alinement with each other and extend for practically the length of the mandrel.

lVhen the mandrel is expanded, members 33 are retained in parallel relation to mandrel shaft 10, whereas members 32 are inclined relative to said mandrel shaft, whereby the paper material may be formed upon the mandrel so as to produce a bottle or simi-' lar container having a tapering neck portion. Upon collapsing the mandrel, members 32 and 33 fold into compact relation parallel to the mandrel as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the external diameter of the man drel is reduced sufficiently for the mem bers to be withdrawn from the bottle through the neck thereof at the tapering portion of said bottle. It is preferred to ex pand and contract members 32, 33 by moving the mandrel in the direction of its length so that it will have a sliding movement through the head. With the mandrel in an expanded position, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 6, the paper material may be folded or wrapped one or more times around members 33, after which that part of the paper material. which envelops members 32 is pressed or folded inwardly by the action of crimping fingers, as a result of which operation of the crimping fingers, the paper material will be folded into the longitudinal channels 44 of members 32, thus resulting in plaits or January 8, 1912, Serial No. 669,945. The.

crimping fingers 46 are carried by a head which has sliding movement relative to the mandrel as well as rotative movement simultaneously with the mandrel in the operation of producing a paper bottle, all as will more" fully appear by reference to the. aforesaid application, but when the crimping fingers and their operating mechanism are employed in conjunction with the improved mandrel, it is essential that the crimping fingers 46 be positioned oppositeto, or in alinement'radially with, grooves or channels 44 in members 32 of the collapsible mandrel, whereby upon the inward movement of said crimping fingers 46 toward the mandrel, the paper material will be pressed and folded into grooves or channels 44 of said members 32, in contradistinction to the operation of prior mandrels wherein the paper material is folded into plaits between the members composing said mandrel, as a result of which operation, the improved mandrel acts efiiciently in producing the folds or plaits in the paper material in such manner that the paper, when the mandrel is collapsed, will not become torn and mutilate the container.

The operation of the mandrel is as follows :With the mandrel in the expanded position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the paper material is fed to the mandrel so as to envelop members 32, 33, and said mandrel is rotated for the purpose of coiling or winding the paper around, and in contact with, members 33, after which the rotation of' the mandrel is stopped. Head 48 carrying crimping fingers 46 now slides into position over the mandrel, and the paper wound thereon, for the purpose of bringing crimping fingers 46 into position over that part of the cylindrical paper roll which envelops members 32, whereupon the crimping fingers are operated by pressing them inwardly, as a result of which the paper is contracted around members 32, and some of the paper material is pressed by the fingers 46 into tapering channels 44, thereby producing tapering folds or plaits in the paper material and giving the desired taper to the neck of the bottle or similar container. Some of the paper material extends beyond the members 32 and overlaps the divided ring 22, of the collapsible head, thus resulting in the formation of a mouth flange beyond the tapering neck of the container. While the fingers 46 are pressed into the ,folds or plaits of the paper composing the container, the mandrel is collapsed by moving the mandrel shaft 10 relative to the head, such endwise movement of the mandrel drawing collars 13, 14 toward the right and pulling on the links 36, 40 so as to fold said links and members 32, 33 into parallel relation to the mandrel shaft, as shown in Fig. 5. The I mandrel in a collapsed condition may now be withdrawn from the bottle or container through the contracted neck and mouth portions thereof, the plaits or folds in the neck portion of the container sliding through the grooves or channels 44, 45 of members 32,33, respectively. At the proper time, the crimping fingers 46 are released and the head 48 with said fingers 46 are withdrawn from the aper bottle or other container by impartmg the endwise movement to said head 48. The resulting paper bottle may be discharged from the machine in any suitable way,.and at a proper time in the operation of forming said bottle, a closure or bottom is positioned within the. open end of the cylmdrical part of the bottle, the bottom and the body of the bottle being united in any desired way. After the bottle shall have been formed and discharged the mandrel is'- moved back to an operative position, mandrel shaft 10 operating to move the collars 13, 14

away from the'head, and thereby expand links 36, 40, whereupon members 33' are presmd outwardly into positions parallel to the mandrel shaft, and members 32 are moved into positions inclined to the mandrel shaft, as well as inclining said members 32 to members 33 and the head. The paper may now be again fed to the mandrel and the operations of feeding, winding, and crimping the paper repeated.

In addition to performing the function of a support for members 32, the head with the collapsible ring 22 serves as a means for forming the mouth flange of the container or bottle. The paper which is to be wrapped or coiled around the mandrel should be of such length as to extend from the free ends of members 33 to, and over the .collapsible ring 22, and after the paper shall have been coiled to produce the cylindrical roll as de scribed, and said paper shall have been crimped to produce the folds or plaits of the tapering neck, an edge portion of the paper roll is collapsed around the ring 22. Said ring is provided with a shoulder 22 againsttightly around the paper material. For the purpose of easy removal of the ring 22 from the container, said ring is made collapsible,

and when the mandrel is collapsed to release drel, it is preferred in one embodiment of the invention to preliminarily roll the paper into a cylindrical roll independently of the mandrel, to move or position said mandrel within the cylindrical roll subsequent to the production of said roll, thereafter expand the mandrel so that members 33 will support the cylindrical roll, then crimp or fold the paper material by the operation of crimpers which press a part of said material into the grooves of members 32, and then proceed as heretofore described in completing the formation of the bottle or other container. The mechanism for performing these operations will constitute the subject matter of a separate application, but in this application it is desired to secure protection for the new form of construction composing the collapsible and expansible mandrel.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a mandrel, the combination of a plurality of separate bars composed of substantially rigid material, each bar having in the outer face thereof a longitudinal channel, and a plurality of cooperating members operable to press paper into said channels, whereby crimps are produced in said paper.

2. In a mandrel, the combination of a plurality of collapsible channeled members, a plurality of 'cotiperating members operable to press paper into said channels, whereby crimps are produced in said paper, and a plurality of other collapsible members cooperating with said channeled members.

3. In a mandrel, the combination of a plurality of inclined collapsible channeled members, a plurality of cooperating members operable to press paper into said channels, whereby crimps are produced in said paper, and a plurality of substantially parallel collapsible members cooperating with said channeled members. i

4. In a collapsible mandrel, a mandrel shaft, a series of members normally parallel to said mandrel shaft, a. second series of members provided with channels or grooves, and means connecting the members of the first and second series with said mandrel shaft for expanding the mandrel in such manner that the first series of members are substantially parallel to the mandrel shaft 5. In a collapsible mandrel, a mandrel shaft, a series of members each provided with a groove which tapers lengthwise of the member, means connecting said members with the mandrel shaft, a second series of members, and means connecting the members of the second series with said mandrel shaft.

6. In a collapsible mandrel, a mandrel shaft, a series of members each provided with a longitudinal groove or channel, a second series of members each having a longitudinal groove or channel, and separate connecting means for attaching the members to the mandrel. shaft for expanding and contracting the members relative to said shaft.

7. In a collapsible mandrel, a mandrel shaft, a series of members each provided with a groove or channel which tapers lengthwise of the member, a second series of members each having a groove or channel which is substantially uniform in depth, and means for connecting the members of the first and second series with the mandrel shaft to secure an expanding or contracting movement of said members relative to said shaft.

8. In a collapsible mandrel, a mandrel shaft, a head loose thereon, a series of channeled members each pivoted at one end to said head, a series of links each connecting the other end of one member with the mandrel shaft, a second series of members, and links connecting said members of the second series with the mandrel shaft, said members of the first series being movable to inclined positions, and the members of the second series being movable to parallel positions relative to the mandrel shaft when the mandrel is expanded.

9. In a collapsible mandrel, a mandrel shaft, a head loose thereon, a series of channeled members each pivoted at one end to said head, a series of links each connecting the other end of one member With the m ndrel shaft, a second series of channeled members each pivoted at one end to an adjacent member of the first series, and other links connecting the opposite end portions of the members of the second series with the mandrel shaft, all of said members being foldable, when the mandrel is collapsed, into compact parallel relation to the mandrel shaft, whereas upon expansion of the mandrel, the first series of members are movable to inclined positions and the second series of members retain their parallel relation to the mandrel shaft.

10. In a collapsible mandrel, a head embodying a sleeve, a collar fixed thereto. and a divided ring composed of spring-pressed sections pivoted to said collar, combined with a mandrel shaft passing loosely through the sleeve, a series of members pivoted to the collar, and links connecting the members to the mandrel shaft, 'said sections of the divided ring having frictional contact with the pivoted members rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the members and the collar.

11. In a collapsiblemandrel, a mandrel shaft, a rotatable head having a collapsible ring upon which an edge portion of the paper is adapted to be wound, and members operatively connected with the mandrel shaft, said members and the ring being collapsible relative to the mandrel shaft for the purpose of easily withdrawing the mandrel from a container.

12. In a collapsible mandrel, a mandrel shaft, a rotatable head embodying a sectional ring the sections of which are springactuated, and members connected with said mandrel shaft and with said rotatable head, said members and the sectional ring being collapsible relative to the mandrel shaft, whereby the entire mandrel and the head thereof are adapted to be released from frictional engagement with the container and to be withdrawn easily therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. H. Knoen, M. HALLWOOD. 

